Christian Crier
The best way to please God, first and foremost, is just to love Him. The Lord has shown himself to be a kind, loving, Father, full of grace. In the Bible, he goes out of his way to let us know that that we don’t have to jump through hoops to make him happy. He just wants children who follow his example of merciful love, and come home to Him at the end of every day. That’s what pleases Him most.
Romans 12: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
When we come to a relationship with Jesus, our eyes are opened to all of the areas in our life where we are in need of Him. The more we learn of Him, the more our mind, hearts, and bodies, change to reflect His loving influence. When we open ourselves up to this transformation, we are at the same time, opening the door to God’s plan for our lives. A plan that, prior to meeting Jesus, we may have missed entirely.
2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
God sees his children doing the work of Christ here on earth, and He is reminded of his son- the one who most pleases Him. We are Christ’s representatives here, and we give off the same aroma that He did, by following the example He left. How exciting it is to believe that we are like Him. God says we are, and He knows us best.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-5 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
As Christians, we have a guidebook, as well as a guide, to show us how to live. The more we follow the instructions left by our guide, the more we begin to understand the plans, and influence others to do the same.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
We cannot seek God’s help, if we do not believe He can and will deliver it. Otherwise we are just believing in an empty God. When we come to him, we must do so with the faith that He knows all, sees all, and has power over all. If we do not, we run the risk of missing the many blessings he wants us to receive. Belief in His power opens our eyes to His blessings.
Psalm 147:10-11 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
The Lord is not impressed with the things that the world sees as important. He cares little for our physical strength, speed, or agility. He smiles upon the strength of our love for Him. His pleasure comes from those who most swiftly move towards Him. His delight comes from our hope and faith in his perfect abilities, not our own.
Philippians 2:12-16 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
The Biblical use of the word fear can be off putting and, well, scary to some. But in most cases, fearing the Lord, simply refers to believing in His power and honoring it by the way we live our lives. We should also tremble at his grace, love, and mercy. These are not bad things that cause us to feel distant and afraid of God, but rather beliefs that only serve to draw us closer to Him. The closer we remain to the Lord, the more open we are to fulfilling His purpose for our life. It is a work that never ends, but brings the great reward of a working relationship with an expert craftsman.
Proverbs 16:7 When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them.
One of the most beautiful things about our walk with the Lord is the way he transforms our thinking. Old angers often dissipate, forgiveness begins to grow in our hearts, and our darkest places seem open themselves to light. Proverbs 16:7 talks about the way God brings peace to enemies in our lives. I wonder if perhaps this comes as an extension to what is being done in our own hearts. When we become more at peace, do we possibly reflect that to those who would seek to harm us? God’s works are mysterious, but He often brings forgiveness and acceptance to situations in which they never before would have seemed possible.
Conclusion
If you think about what most brings you pleasure in your life, what comes to mind? Sure there may be certain places, and experiences, that immediately arise, but when you stop to consider those moments, what lies behind all of them, is probably the love. The love of the people who were there with you, beside you, close to you-that’s what makes most of us happy. I believe it is much the same way with God. He derives his greatest joy from those who draw nearest to Him. There is much to be done for God’s kingdom, but I think, at the end of the day, as long as we give Him our hearts, and love Him with all of them, we please Him. His greatest pleasure resides not in acts, works, or perfection. It resides in us.
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